John Letzing

Switzerland

Digital Editor at World Economic Forum

Editor @wef, alum @wsj and @ucbsoj.

Featured in: Favicon

weforum.org Favicon

wsj.com

marketwatch.com Favicon

bigthink.com Favicon

theprint.in Favicon

greenbiz.com Favicon

fnlondon.com Favicon

realclearworld.com Favicon

nationofchange.org Favicon

themandarin.com.au + 8 more

Articles

What is ‘middle-out’ economics, and does it stand a chance?

1 month ago | weforum.org | John Letzing

Digital Editor, Economics, World Economic ForumThe wealthiest Americans now play a far greater role in the country’s economy than in past decades, according to a new analysis. Meanwhile the middle-class population both in the US and elsewhere is in decline. But some countries are pressing ahead with ‘middle-out’ measures that many economists deem essential for healthy growth. Costco is probably best known for $1.50 hot dogs and generic items sold in bulk.
What is women's ‘bodily autonomy’ and why does it matter?

1 month ago | weforum.org | John Letzing

Roughly half of all women reportedly lack the ability to freely make choices about their own bodies. In some places they face growing threats to their bodily autonomy. International Women's Day presents an opportunity to reflect on issues like reproductive rights. A relatively recent study traced the success and failure of European regions between the 16th and 19th centuries, and identified something that may have already been obvious to at least one in every two people.
Europe's social welfare economies must now focus on defence. How, is the question

2 months ago | theprint.in | John Letzing

Security has long been a priority in Europe. Just not the military kind. The handful of European leaders who hastily convened a meeting in Paris earlier this week to discuss self-defence represent countries now committing an average of 1.9% of economic output to military spending – and more than 25% to social protection, in the form of things like payments to retirees, health care, and housing.
How do tariffs work - and do they work?

2 months ago | theprint.in | John Letzing

Wariness of tariffs seemed to have long ago soaked into the fabric of US popular culture. “Did it work?” a teacher asked his listless high school students in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, after explaining the good intentions behind US tariff legislation passed nearly four decades earlier.
At Davos, European leaders grappled with an uncomfortable reality

2 months ago | weforum.org | John Letzing

European leaders and experts at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos did not shy away from addressing the region's difficult situation. As the geopolitical order shifts Europe must act now to spur its economy and retain its relevance as a global power, they said.
Five key numbers that distil Davos 2025's themes

Jan 24, 2025 | weforum.org | John Letzing

Davos 2025 took place in the midst of dramatic political shifts and geopolitical fragmentation. For each of the meeting’s five themes we’ve selected a single number that emerged in discussions and interviews, and tells a bigger story. These numbers reflect difficult realities that will likely have to be dealt with in the year ahead. It’s a daunting task to boil down something like the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos to just five numbers. That’s particularly true now.
Did democracy's big year dim the lights on traditional economic indicators?

Dec 6, 2024 | weforum.org | John Letzing

2024 was a record year for elections, and many incumbents were ousted. This is true even in places where headline economic indicators reflected recovery or even enviable growth – which didn’t seem to mean much to voters. Better ways of measuring how people actually experience growth in nominally healthy economies might be useful. As World War Two drew to a close, the US military set out to examine the effectiveness of dropping nearly 2.7 million tons of Allied bombs on German cities.
What is ‘sovereign AI’ and why is the concept so appealing (and fraught)?

Nov 13, 2024 | flipboard.com | John Letzing

2 hours agoScientists Finally Solve the ‘Chicken or Egg’ Mystery—And the Answer Will Surprise You!What came first, the chicken or the egg? This age-old mystery might finally have an answer! Discover how a billion-year-old single-celled organism is reshaping what we thought we knew about life’s biggest question. Get ready for a mind-bending twist on evolution that goes way beyond chickens. Are you Team Chicken or Team Egg?
Can the European Union get it together on capital markets?

Oct 17, 2024 | weforum.org | John Letzing

Missing the train? A high-speed rail network is one of the things officials say a European capital markets union could help make possible. Image: REUTERS/Yves HermanEuropean Union (EU) members have been reluctant to pool and expand financial flows as part of a ‘capital markets union,’ starving companies of funds and hindering efforts to mount a green transition.
Why social media content moderation is so difficult

Sep 21, 2024 | theprint.in | John Letzing

Shortly after Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel last October, channels used by the terrorist group on Telegram lit up with images of the ensuing atrocities. The response? A restriction of those channels that reportedly didn’t do much restricting. Nearly a year later, Telegram’s steady cultivation of a reputation as a free-speech bastion, sometimes to an extreme degree, has hit a glitch with the arrest of its founder and CEO in Paris.